Lab 6 - Rectal Palpation of Cattle

Question 1

True or False:

When performing rectal palpation on cows and heifers, you want to use your dominant hand when palpating.

Answer 1

False

When performing rectal palpation on cows and heifers, you want to use your nondominant hand when palpating.

Question 2

Why do you turn palpation gloves inside out if you are specifically palpating a mare?

Answer 2

So the seam doesn’t cause any problems

Mares’ rectum and fairly sensitive

Question 3

What trick can be performed on palpation sleeves to help improve “feel” with your finters when palpating?

Answer 3

Cut fingers off of course gloves and put a laytex glove over top

Question 4

What important step should be performed prior to palpation, but following use of lubricant?

Answer 4

Clean out the rectum

Question 5

It is important to “rake” the manure out of the rectum rather than continuously inserting and removing your arm to prevent the formation of ___.

Answer 5

Air pockets

Question 6

If an air pocket is created, it is almost as if a ___ has formed within the rectum

Answer 6

basketball

Question 7

Why do we want to prevent the formation of air pockets within the rectum?

Answer 7

Like a basketball - the surface is course and rough, it is difficult to feel anything beneath it

Question 8

What to do if you get an air pocket?

Answer 8

1. push forward until feel rings of rectum clamp down
2. “tickle” ring
3. she will contract the rings toward you
4. either tighten hand up or slowly pull hand out
   (note: if you pull your hand out, you could create another air pocket when you go back in)

Question 9

When palpating, what is the first organ we are looking to feel?

Answer 9

cervix

Question 10

Describe how the organ in question 9 will feel upon palpation.

Answer 10

Hard connective tissue

(what was the right answer for the quiz? i got it wrong)

Question 11

True or false:

If a cow is in heat (estrus), you will be able to feel the cervix after only inserting your hand, up to the wrist, into the rectum. However, if she is not in heat (estrus), you may have to reach partially up your forearm before you will be able to feel the cervix.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

True or false:

If the cow’s reproductive tract, the ovaries are located behind the cervix.

Answer 12

False

In the cow’s reproductive tract, the ovaries are located to the side of the cervix

Question 13

You will know you have found the ovaries when palpating because you will be able to sweep you hand left and right and the ovaries will fell almose like a ___.

Answer 13

bouncing ball

Question 14

True or false:

If a follicle is present on the ovary, the ovary will maintain its kidney or almond shape upon palpation. However, if a large corpus luteum (CL) is present on the ovary, it juts off the surface and makes the ovary feel more oblong or odd in shape.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

Rather than pinning the ovary to the pelvis in orger to palpate the surface, what other option is available?

Answer 15

Grabbing the ovary and holding it with your fingers while using thumb to palpate

Question 16

The place where the uterine body separates into the uterine horns is called the ___ and can be palpated farther behind the ovaries and cervix within the cow’s reproductive tract.

Answer 16

Point of Bifurcation